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After four years of driving opposing defencemen into the endboards and focusing on his defensive assignments with the WHL’s Chilliwack Bruins and the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings, the 20-year-old winger was dealt to the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs this past summer, and in the process, dealt a new hand in his final season of junior hockey.

“I have to be a scorer for this team, and I kind of like it,” said Wentworth, who has piled up 20 goals and seven assists in 30 games this season.

“It’s a responsibility, but at the same time, you have to make sure you don’t lose any of your roots and you still have to play the game that got you here and that you kind of identify yourself with as a player.

“I do have to keep playing physical. I’m not afraid to fight. I’m not afraid to throw guys around and hit hard on the forecheck or stick up for my teammates.”

The last time Wentworth found the back of the net with such regularity? He has to go back to his time with the Calgary Buffaloes organization.

“The last time I scored 20 in a season must’ve been bantam,” said Wentworth, who scored four goals in 149 career WHL contests before notching 16 in 58 MJHL games last season.

“There’s a lot of skill on this team, and it’s pretty easy to put the puck in the net with some of the passes I’ve been getting.

“It’s nice to get back to that scoring that I once had.”

But Wentworth knows where his strengths lie and Mustangs head coach Mario Amantea has leaned on the veteran, especially during a recent 10-game losing streak the Mustangs were able to break out of Tuesday with a 3-2 win over the Canmore Eagles.

“I’m not sure there are a lot of guys in the league who hit as hard as Blair,” Amantea said. “When he’s finishing checks ... he’s fast and he’s very strong. I absolutely think he’s got penalties this year for hitting too hard.

“They’ve been good, clean hits that if somebody else hits a guy the exact same way, it’s not a penalty. When Blair does, he really explodes.”

When the Calgary product decided he wanted to finish off his junior career closer to home before pursuing CIS options next season, Amantea jumped at the chance to add some sandpaper to his lineup.

With Wentworth’s younger brother — 18-year-old forward Joel — already in the Mustangs’ fold, it was a natural fit.

“(The brass in Dauphin) were disappointed, but they understood it was my last year and that I wanted to be closer to home since I flip-flopped from the West Coast to over in Manitoba and never really stopped at home in between,” Blair Wentworth said.

AJHL: Blair Wentworth lighting AJHL lamps

After four years of driving opposing defencemen into the endboards and focusing on his defensive assignments with the WHL’s Chilliwack Bruins and the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings, the 20-year-old winger was dealt to the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs this past summer, and in the process, dealt a new hand in his final season of junior hockey.

“I have to be a scorer for this team, and I kind of like it,” said Wentworth, who has piled up 20 goals and seven assists in 30 games this season.

“It’s a responsibility, but at the same time, you have to make sure you don’t lose any of your roots and you still have to play the game that got you here and that you kind of identify yourself with as a player.

“I do have to keep playing physical. I’m not afraid to fight. I’m not afraid to throw guys around and hit hard on the forecheck or stick up for my teammates.”